Image copyrights: The Nature Conservation and Aquatic Sciences Service

Description
Size: 68-280 mm.

Color: Variable; generally greenish brown, lighter below, sides of body with irregular dark markings. Head sometimes with 5 or 6 light bars radiating from eye, the two anteriormost from eye to rear of mouth. Dorsal basally greenish, distally brownish with white streaks and spots and a dark blotch between first and second or second and third spines. Anal uniform dusky or greenish basally and dusky with light markings. Caudal greenish to dusky with pale streaks or spots and posterior white margin. Pectoral hyaline, dark basally. Ventral hyaline basally, dark distally or with dusky spots.

Head 3.0-3.3 in standard length, 3.6-4.1 in total length. Depth of body 2.4-2.7 in standard length, 3.0-3.5 in total length. Eye diameter 4.7-5.6 in head, 1.3-1.7 in snout and 1.2-1.5 in slightly convex interorbital space. A row of incisor-like teeth in the upper jaw, the posteriormost flaring outwards and an inner row of small teeth ending as a toothless ridge anteriorly and two large conical teeth in front. In the lower jaw a single row of incisor-like teeth posteriorly and in two overlapping rows anteriorly near symphysis. Anterior nostril with a small flap. Dorsal fin spines flexible, first as long as snout, the last as long as longest dorsal fin rays. First anal fin spine minute, third longer than eye but shorter than anal fin rays. Pectoral fin slightly longer than head without snout. Caudal fin rounded in juveniles, the outer rays slightly produced in adults.
Number of spines and rays in the dorsal fin: IX, 10; number of spines and rays in the anal fin: III, 9; number of rays in the pectoral fin: ii, 11; number of spines and rays in the ventral fin: I, 5; number of scale rows along the lateral line: 24-25; number of horizontal scale rows usually counted from origin of the dorsal fin to the lateral line and from anal origin to the lateral line: 2+1+6½.

Kumaran, M; Murty, VS and Lalmohan, RS (1989) Resources of ornamental fishes Marine living resources of the union territory of Lakshadweep: An indicative survey with suggestions for development Bulletin of Central Marine Research Institute CMFRI 43 46-64 Available at - http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/8213/1/Bulletin_No_43.pdf